Devices for guiding a drop window in a vehicle door of a motor vehicle need to be very tight in order to prevent noises or dirt from being admitted into the interior of the motor vehicle and are known from practical applications. In conventional devices of this type, the shaft rail seals a gap formed by flanges of the vehicle door together with the drop window and a sealing lip that adjoins the drop window. However, the connection of the shaft rail to the guide rail cannot be reliably ensured. This is the case, in particular, if the shaft rail should be vertically mounted on the flange of the vehicle door. Depending on the incline of the guide rail relative to the vertical line, this results in a section on the flange of the vehicle door that cannot be covered with the shaft rail. This section can result in undesirable noise or dirt being admitted into the interior of the motor vehicle.
In view of the foregoing, at least one objective exists to realize a device of the initially cited type for guiding a drop window in such a way that it permanently prevents the admission of noises or dirt into the interior of the motor vehicle. In addition, other objectives, desirable features, and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent summary and detailed description, and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background.
According to an embodiment of the invention, this at least one objective, other objectives, desirable features, and characteristics, are attained in that a deflector extends from the guide rail up to a flange of the vehicle door and features a vertical edge that is guided up to the shaft rail.
Due to this design, a section between the guide rail and the shaft rail is covered by the deflector. The deflector consequently compensates the incline of the guide rail relative to the vertical line and therefore also prevents a gap from forming between the guide rail and the shaft rail if the guide rail is significantly inclined relative to the vertical line. The deflector can thusly prevent the admission of noises or dirt into the interior of the motor vehicle.
In known devices of this type, the shaft rail is individually fixed on a clamp that is mounted on the flange of the vehicle door. This clamp also serves for mounting an inside lining of the motor vehicle that faces the interior of the motor vehicle. The device in accordance with embodiments of the invention, however, is composed of only a few components that can be installed very easily if the shaft rail is fixed on an inside lining of the motor vehicle. This makes it possible to easily combine the shaft rail and the inside lining into a pre-assembled unit. This pre-assembled unit can subsequently be fixed on the flange of the vehicle door, preferably by being attached vertically.
According to another advantageous additional development of embodiments of the invention, the deflector provides sufficient protection from dirt and noises if it has an essentially triangular shape.
According to an advantageous additional development of embodiments of the invention, the deflector can be installed in a particularly simple fashion if it is fixed in the guide rail.
According to another advantageous additional development of embodiments of the invention, the deflector can also be installed in a particularly simple fashion if it features elements for producing a snap-on connection in the guide rail.
In order to further simplify the installation of the deflector, another advantageous additional development of embodiments of the invention proposes that the snap-on connection of the deflector in the guide rail features a locking hook that is realized integrally with the deflector.
The integral design of the deflector and the locking hook can be achieved in a particularly simple fashion in accordance with another advantageous additional embodiment of the invention, in which the deflector is realized in the form of a sheet of spring steel.
According to another advantageous additional embodiment of the invention, the connection between the deflector and the guide rail is particularly stable if the deflector is screwed or riveted to the guide rail at a distant location referred to the snap-on connection.
The device in accordance with an embodiment of the invention has a particularly simple constructive design if the guide rail and/or the shaft rail is/are realized integrally with a sealing lip that adjoins the drop window.